James McAllister Sutton

James McAllister Sutton, 79, of Athens, AL, began his extraordinary journey on Jan 18, 1932, on a farm north of Rochelle, Wilcox County, Georgia and ended on Monday July 25, 2011 at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, AL. Services for Mr. Sutton are Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Isoms Chapel United Methodist Church in Athens, AL. Mr. Sutton will lie-in-state from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 27, 2011 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home in Athens, AL. There will be a graveside service held Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at Valhalla Memorial Gardens in Belleville, Ill. Visitation and masonic service will be Friday, July 29, 2011 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Wolfersberger Funeral Home in OFallon, Ill. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Otis Sutton, Sr. and Minnie Louisa, (nee Bagwell), Sutton; his first wife Patricia Ann (nee Russel) Sutton, who died Sep 25, 1983; a son James M. Sutton in infancy; a grandson Justin Brooks; eight brothers, Al Smith, Les Smith, Edwin Sutton (in infancy), George Sutton, Bobby T. Sutton, Floyd Sutton, Charles Otis Sutton, Jr, Johnny F. Sutton and three sisters, Estelle Harvey, Edna Smith, and Robbie Terry. Surviving are his wife, Gloria, (nee Klein), Sutton, who he married Aug 2, 1986; his children, Karen (Mike) Brooks and Margaret Smith of Council Grove, KS, Linda (Steven) Law of Hazel Green, AL, Marcia Sutton of Waterloo, IL, Ashley Sutton of Athens, AL and son, John (Stacy) Bright of Foristell, MO; grandchildren, Curtis LaRue, James LaRue, Cory Cranford, Jonya Wendel, Bethany Gappa, Kelly (Jimmy) Johnson, Tracy Menz, Bradley Menz, Saundra Law, Katelyn Law, Sean Law, Sarah Sutton, Kayla Bright, Savannah Bright, Madison Bright and John Raymond Bright; great-grandchildren, Dakoda Kelley, Jordan Kelley, Danielle Wendel, Jimmy Wendel, Adein Kelley, and Makayla Salada; brother William (Fran) Sutton, Rochelle, GA; sisters, Marion Herring, Centerville, GA, Annette (Ted) Abbot, Dallas, GA, Dorothy Terry, Pitts, GA, and Alice Brooks, Rochelle, GA; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Sutton, Rochelle, GA, Lavern Sutton, Columbus, GA, Mary Frances Sutton, Macon, GA and Deborah (Jay) Miller, O\'Fallon, IL and brother-in-law, Robert Klein, Millstadt, IL and numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Sutton enlisted in the US Army on June 19, 1950 and later moved to the US Air Force. During his military career, he served in duty stations including Germany, Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, North Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia. He retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant in January 1971 after serving 22 years. Mr. Sutton and his family settled in Macon, Georgia where he worked for the Southern Trust Company. In 1972 he took ajob as district service representative with Goodyear Tire and Rubber in Topeka, Kansas. In December 1974, Mr. Sutton and his family moved to O\'Fallon, Illinois when he began working for the US Army Aviation Systems Command in S1. Louis, Missouri as a Material Specialist. After 38 years, 9 months and 14 days of serving his country, Mr. Sutton retired on July 30, 1991. In July of 1997 Mr. Sutton and his family relocated to Huntsville, AL. Mr. Sutton was a former member of Shiloh Baptist Church, Shiloh, Illinois and Christ United Methodist Church, Fairview Heights, IL and a current member of Isom\'s Chapel United Methodist Church, Athens, AL. He was a 50 year member of the O\'Fallon Masonic Lodge 576 AF & AM and a member of American Legion Post 58, Rochelle, GA. Pallbearers are John Bright, Jimmy Johnson, Josh Pippin, Sean Law, Jake Woods, and Adam Hudson. Memorials may be made to Isoms Chapel United Methodist Church.

James McAllister Sutton

January 18, 1932 - July 25, 2011